Designing an HRIS to support globalization

As globalization continues to reign supreme, it is critical that HR technology should be a facilitator of international business expansion rather than an impediment to it.

This is a problem facing any HR professional heading up an organization that has grown internationally.

While there is a swathe of practical considerations to mull over during an expansion process, perhaps top of the list for any HR professional is the technology infrastructure that will keep things ticking over regardless of geographic location.

In this situation, many HR directors will consider consolidating all human capital management data into one solution – but what should they be looking for to enable a global Human Resource Information System (HRIS)?

Finding common ground

The first step is to identify common business goals and common process design, so that everyone understands that the global business will need to consolidate, and how their particular roles contribute to common outcomes.

“Many companies need to change strategic direction, and for some countries more than others, alignment and strategic communication and performance-sharing is important in this situation,” said Kevin Brooks, Frontier Software’s national sales and marketing manager.